Pedagogy is one of the few and rare professions that requires true vocation and conviction. The relationship between teacher and student must be carefully balanced in order to keep a constant and flowing communication. Without a true and authentic connection, it is difficult for the appropriate ambiance for learning to subsist. Vulnerability is key, as it becomes the medium by which we are able to be honest and transparent with ourselves. I believe that teaching comes from sharing and I am humbled by all that I have learned from my students over the years.
My objective as a teacher is to inspire students to develop high intrapersonal intelligence, independence and musical intuition so that they become truly aware of both, their strengths and weaknesses. By acquiring these tools, students will be able to learn to detect the vulnerabilities that require the most attention, as well as to build upon the foundation of their true fortitudes. Wonderment, curiosity, experimentation, open-mindedness and observation are key elements that should always be present during a lesson so that the student can learn to become their own best teacher.
I believe that every student has a special gift and understanding of music that is truly unique and personal. A good teacher will help them grow by finessing and complementing their uniqueness and previously acquired working mechanisms, whilst a bad teacher tends to negatively deconstruct even when this is not necessary.
Technique should exist in favor of music and not music in favor of technique. The parallelism between these is one that merges and becomes the same. Addressing them simultaneously makes the learning process endlessly creative and interesting, rather than daunting by isolating technique in a manner where it no longer relates to artistry. My goal is to help my pupils cultivate the command required to express what they wish to say musically, the way they internally envision it. It is my hope that my students will acquire tools that will not only help them become better musicians and players, but that they will also assist them in other areas of their lives.
The art of creating sound is rather abstract and ethereal, as it takes us in a journey and all-encompassing process that requires uttermost care, intention and authenticity. I have seen how music can be a rewarding and beneficial language with the power to change lives and enhance them in an impactful and positive manner.
In the core of great artistry, I believe there are 10 essentials to communicate at the highest level. A true musician must be able to become a “thinker” one that can analyze music before playing it, a “singer” to implement lyricism in their phrasing, a “sculptor” to draw the right profile when needed, a “dancer” to understand tempi and flow, a “sportsman” to have the physical endurance and resistance,
a “painter” of harmonies as colors, an “architect” with the capacity to see textures and build structures with sound, an “actor” to present their musical proposition, a “missionary” to deliver the message and lastly a “storyteller” the raconteur which is the culmination of these essentials. Every student has a story to tell- their original voice is ultimately “the story”….their own story….
